Hotch Zoom Guidelines

HOTCHNER PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL 2020
Zoom Guidelines
Hello, artists! This is just a list of things to help rehearsals run smoothly. Much of this may be
second nature or obvious to you, but everyone has varying levels of Zoom experience, so I want
to lay everything out, just in case. If you have any questions or have Zoom issues, please get in
touch with me at tom.shotkin@gmail.com or my cell phone – 267.971.6687.
Rehearsal Info:
•Rehearsals will be held as a Zoom webinar. Abby will send a link via email before each
rehearsal. The artistic teams and actors will be “panelists”. The webinars function much like a
usual zoom meeting; your controls are the same, the stage manager has a bit more control.
•You do not have to have a zoom account to join but it may be smoother and simpler, however,
if you do. It’s free to sign up - www.zoom.us If you don’t have an account, you can join
through your web browser; you just may have to enter your name and email each time you
attempt to join a meeting/webinar.
•It’s also helpful to download the Zoom desktop client - https://zoom.us/download.
If you have the desktop client, make sure you have the latest version. Open the app, click on
your profile pic and click on “Check For Updates”
•Zoom seems to work best with Chrome as your browser. Safari/Firefox will probably work
fine, too, but sometimes there have been sound and other issues.
•Wi-Fi - Some of the most common problems with Zoom are connectivity issues. If your Wi-Fi
signal isn’t too strong or you have slow Wi-Fi speed in your home, your video and audio can get
interrupted. Here are some solutions:
-If possible, turn off other devices in the home that are using Wi-Fi.
-Position yourself (with your computer/tablet/etc.) closer to your router or access point
-Minimize the amount of interference between you and the Wi-Fi signal. The signal can have
trouble going through some walls.
-If possible, you can hardwire yourself to the router with an ethernet cable; we can figure this
out if it becomes necessary.
-Do a speed test to make sure your service itself is adequate: Google “Internet Speed Test” or
try Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test
•Headphones - Headphones do work well to cancel out extraneous noise (both for listening and
speaking), especially as we might have fans or ACs running.
•Lighting – It’s best to have the main light source in front of you – a ring light or desk light set
up behind the computer facing you is best. Beware of being backlit by lamps, windows, etc.
•Background – Have as neutral a background as possible. Realizing that not everyone has a
blank/neutral wall, do your best, without too many distractions behind you. We don’t want to
use virtual backgrounds.

Joining rehearsals:
•When you first join the rehearsal, your cam and mic should be OFF. Once you’re in, you can
then umute yourself and turn on video.
-If you have the zoom desktop client, click the gear wheel in the upper right corner, and click
“audio settings” OR
-If you’re currently in a meeting/webinar, click on the caret next to the mic icon in the bottom
left corner, and click “audio settings”. That will take you to this screen:
Make sure all 3 boxes are checked at the bottom.
Then click on the “Video” tab, and you’ll see this list at the bottom:
Check all of the boxes as displayed above. This will make sure your camera isn’t on when you
first join the rehearsal; that prevents any unwanted interruptions if say, you get booted and

have to rejoin, or you are coming in late, or you have to leave for some reason and then reenter.
•Also in this list – make sure “Hide non-video participants” is checked (the reason is mentioned
below).
In Rehearsals:
•It’s best to keep yourself muted when not actively speaking. That eliminates more extraneous
sound.
•If not in scene, or in discussion, it’s also best to keep your camera off. That reduces screen
clutter.
•Keep yourself in gallery view (option is at top right part of your screen). When in gallery view,
and with the above “Hide non-video participants” box checked, whenever someone turns off
their camera, their box leaves the screen, as opposed to a box remaining on screen with their
name or profile pic. It keeps your screen cleaner, especially when there are many people in the
rehearsal at once.
•It will be helpful, at least initially, to rename your box with [Name, Pronouns, Role]
Click on “Participants”, then hover over your name in the list, click on “More”,
and then click “Rename”
•You can also hide the view of yourself, if you wish: Click on the 3 dots in the corner of your
own pic, and click on “Hide Self View”
•Chat function – Use of this will should determined by the director/dramaturg. I find it a good
way to communicate privately with the SM if you have issues or have to step away. I think
limiting back and forth on chat among the cast/team during rehearsals is best; there’s time
during breaks. Again, I leave this to the directors’, dramaturgs’ and stage managers’ discretion.
•Screen share – If necessary, you can share your screen by clicking the “Share Screen” button.
When you click that, it will show you every window that you currently have open on your
computer. Click on the window/document you want to share. Then you can click
“Stop Share” at the top of the screen to go back to the normal meeting window.
•Script – Have a plan for easily and clearly reading your script. One option is to split the screen
between the script and Zoom meeting, with the script taking up most of the screen (or at least
have it closer to the camera) and keeping the Zoom window on the lower part of your screen.
If necessary, you could read the script off another device (like an ipad/tablet) nearby.

When changes/rewrites are made between rehearsals, you will receive a new copy before the
top of day. As far as taking notes/small changes that may happen during rehearsals, this is easy
to do with Adobe Acrobat Reader (either the desktop or ipad version).
Make sure you have the latest version downloaded - https://get.adobe.com/reader/. You can’t
edit the pdf (without a paid subscription), but you can highlight, cross out, and add text boxes
or notes. We will go over this process during the 1 st day of rehearsal.
•To be safe, keep your computer/device plugged in while on Zoom, so there’s no danger of
your battery draining.
Also, if you have your computer set to fall asleep after a short amount of time, you may want to
set that for longer. If your computer falls asleep or turns off, you will be kicked off the meeting.
If that happens, you’ll have to rejoin from the email link you were originally sent.
•Just like we all need to turn off our cell phones before a rehearsal or reading, it’s
important to turn off any alarms/notifications/noises on your computer.
Public Readings:
There will be more specifics to come re: how the readings will be run. In the meantime:
•The readings will take place LIVE on a webinar in keeping with the feelings and traditions of
live theatre.
•As the audience views the live performance, please be aware that we will be recording each
play for archival purposes and perhaps for a posted viewing at a later date
•Pre-show - you will join a webinar for the reading, just as you did for rehearsals.
•Actors - After checking in with me and your artistic team, you will mute yourself and turn off
your camera.
•As the “house opens”, the webinar will go live. It is important to stay muted and off-camera
during this time.
•For the attendees (audience), the Chat function might be on pre- and post-show, but not
during the reading.
•There shouldn’t be sound & lighting cues used during the readings.
•Unless necessary, props and costumes are not recommended. Generally, anything important
regarding tech or design elements can be communicated through stage directions.
•It is helpful for actors to rename their zoom box with character name(s).

•I also find it helpful to always show meeting controls on the bottom of the Zoom screen (for
quick access in turning mic/cam off and on). Press CTRL + “\”, or go to
Settings/Accessibility/Check “Always Show Meeting Controls”
As we progress through rehearsals, we may figure out different rules/guidelines/best practices.
If you have any immediate questions, Abby will be there in rehearsal. I will be in and out of
rehearsals, but I am always available If you have questions or issues, at tom.shotkin@gmail.com
or 267.971.6687. Thanks!
-Tom Shotkin